The Anthropocene’s call to educational research

This chapter is set within two parallel social processes in contemporary western societies: the continuing penetration of advanced capitalism and the growing response to the devastating impact of climate change framed within the Anthropocene. It considers the analysis of advanced capitalism proposed by philosopher Rosi Braidotti (2014) and the gathering momentum of academic scholarship framed within the concept of the Anthropocene. Described as “a new phase in the history of both humankind and of the Earth, when natural forces and human forces became intertwined, so that the fate of one determines the fate of the other” (Zalasiewicz, Steffen, & Crutzen, 2010, p. 2231), the Anthropocene is proposed as a new geological age. Strongly advocated by Nobel prize winning atmospheric chemist Paul Crutzen (2001), this proposal is currently under consideration by the Geological Society of London to determine whether the new age will be formally accepted into the Geological Time Scale.